Trolley-contact.



A. R. Kf LAUDER.

TROLLEY QONTAGT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1908.

Patented Dec. 8

- To all ichom'it may concern:

1 ibi sAEs AfrNT Orino. j

ANDREW R. K. LAUDER,` or scHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, AssiGNoR To GENERAL ELETRio COMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK. l y

TROLLEY-CONTACT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

` Application lled March 27, 1908. Serial No. 423,540.

Beit'known that I, ANDREW R. 'K LAU-l DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at i Schenectady, county ofSchenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new` anduseful Improvements in Trolley-Contacts, of which the following is a speciicatioii.

My invention relates to trolley contacts for use in connection with signal systems on electric roads, and consists of an improvement in the trolley contact described in an application filed by L. A. Hawkins, December 31, 1907, Serial N o. 408,764, assigned to.

the General Electric Company. In that application is described a trolley contact comprising a long, fiat, flexible, continuousstrip of kconducting material supported in a horizontal plane directly above but separated from the trolley-wire and adapted to he engaged by the rims of the' flanges of a trolleywheel in passing.

My invention consists, in the addition to a contact thus arranged, of a continuous undulating strip `of resilient material pressed down upon the conducting strip at a pluralityvof points, so as to exert a distributed yielding downward pressure to hold the contact strip inengagement with the passing trolley-Wheeli The resilient strip is preferably secured against horizontal movement at one end only. y

My invention is particularly advantageous for a Contact intended `for high-speed operation.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure l shows a side elevation of a trolley contact of the type to which my invention relates; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal'sectional side elevation of the same showing the undulating member arranged un accordance with my invention; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the trolley contact on the scale of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 shows a crossi-sectional, transverse `View ofthe contact on a larger scale. v

In the drawings, A represents the trolleywire, and B B insulating ears or hangers of standard construction.

C C represent a pair of supporting mem- `bers in the-` form of light angle-beams eX tending parallel to and slightlyv above the trolley-wire gon opposite sides of the wire.

These angle-beams are provided at their endsv eted or bolted to the supportingmembersC.

F F represent straps secured Vto the spac. ing blocks D, by means of which the anglebeams are supported from the hangers B B.

G represents a thin, liexible strip of conducting material, such as hard rolled copper.

or phosphorbronze,which rests on, and is supported by, thc angle-beams C C. At the end of thecontact which the trolley-wheel approaches, which is shown as a` left-haiicblend in Fig. 2, the strip Cr is given a gradual' upward incline,'and is fastened at its end to the block D byV means of clamping blocks H H, shown in Fig. 3. The outgoing end of the strip Gr is not fastened, but is given an upward incline, as shown at the right-'hand end of Fig. 2, so that a troll ley-wheel may pass under it from right to left, without danger ofdamaging the contact strip, and also so that there will be no tendency for the right-hand end of the strip to flap when the trolley-wheel passes under it rapidly from left to right.

A binding post I maybe secured to the block D, to which the strip .G is fastened,

so as to conduct the current from the strip x 85 The construction, so'far as described ,fis` -the same as that disclosed in application,

G to the signal mechanism.

Serial No. 408,764, above referred to. The novelfeatnre in the present construction is shown at K in Figs. 2 and 4. This member K consists of acontinuous undulating strip of resilient material, such as spring steel, which is inserted between the contact-strip l? and the cover- E. This resilient strip bears on both the contact strip and the cover at a plurality of-points, so that the cover serves as means for pressing the resilient strip K downward on the contact strip' G, and causing it to exert a distributed, yielding, downward pressure on thc contact strip. The strip K is clamped between the Contact strip G and thespacing block D-at the entering-end of the contact, as shown in Figs. 2l andA 3', but otherwise is left free to move horizontally; Its right-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 2,is loosely supported by a member Ic fastened to the spacingblock D.

The operation of the contact and the funcfrom the above description. The trolleytion of the resilient `strip K will be clear wheel. In Fig. 4 a trolley-wheel Lis shown io;

enteringjthe Contact and about to engage the Contact strip, The incline of the strip is 'f-made so vgradual2 that, noy shogl `occurs when y the lwheel engagesj 'tlie.stripyvereratgvery high speeds?. s' they wheel passes "along 'tlef` efmtyact strip, the strip is held .firmly en`v vthe resilint'strip K. ',.The pressure is practically uniform, and rthere is no tendency to force the wheel from thetrolley-wire, or to cause'it'to'jump, even at the highest speeds, and the Contact stripl is prevented from being thrownnpward bythe trolley-wheel, so

.as momentarily to interrupt the ycircuit while the trolley-wheel is passing. Guide blocks M may be used to prevent sidewise displacement of the stri The possibility of the free movement in horizontal direction of all parts of the strip IQ'fexceptcat the end which the trolley-wheel approaches, enables the strip to yieldinore 'readily-to'im-Y paet, and causes it to mair'itaginl amore limiform pressure.

lVhat l claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A trolley contact comprising a long. fiat. flexible` continuonsV strip of connecting material supported in a horizontal plane directly above but separated 'from the trolleywire and adapted to be engaged by the rims ot the flanges oi a trolley-wheel in passing, a ineinbei' aboije and parallel to said strip, and a continuous undulating strip of 1;;- silient material inserted between said eonducting strip and said member and bearing against' both at a plurality otI points. said resilient. strip extending substantially the length of said rondncting strip.

2. A trolley contactI comprising members 4 extending parallel to and slightly above the trolley wire on opposite sides thereof, a long, flat, ilexible, continuous strip ot' coinlucting material resting `on said members and adapted to be engaged by the rims of the flanges ot' a trolley-wheel in passing, a continuons undulating strip of resilient material extending substantially the length of saideonduetiug strip and bearing thereon at. a plurality ot' points, and means for pressing said resilient strip downward upon said conducting strip. 4 l

3. A trolley eontact comprising a long, fiat, flexible, continuous strip of conducting material supported in a horizontal plane directly above but separated from the trolley-wire and adapted to be engaged by the ing, a ycontinuous undulating strip of resilient material extending substantially the rims ofthe flanges of a trolley-wheel in passlength of said conduetinfr strip and bearing 1 thereon a plurality oia points, and means for pressing said resilient strip downward upon said conducting strip.

4. A trolley contact comprising supporti ing members extending parallel to" and.

slightly above the trolleywireon-"opposite sides thereof, a long. fiat, flexible, continufousstrip of conducting material resting on .saidmembers and adapted to be engaged by the rims of. the flanges ot' a trolley-wheel in passing, a Continuons undulating strip of resilient material extending substantially the length of said conducting strip and bearing thereon at a 'plurality of points, and a mem-l ber secured to said supporting members abovesaid resilient strip and serving bot-h as an inelosing cover and a means for pressing said resilient strip downward upon said conducting strip.

5. A. trolley Contact comprising a long, flat, flexible, continuous strip of Conducting material supported in a horizontal plane direct-1y above but separated from the trolleyv wire and adapted to be engaged by the rims of the fianges of a ,trolley-wheel in passing, a continuous undulating strip of resilient material extending, substantially the length of said conducting strip and bearing thereon at a plurality of points, and means tor pressing said resilient strip. downward upon said conducting strip, said resilient strip being secured against horizontal movement at one end only.

(l. A trolley Contact comprising supportingmenibers extending to and slightly above the trolley-wire. on opposite sides thereof, a

long, fiat, flexible, continuous strip of eonducting material resting on said members and adapted to be'engaged by the rims of the flanges ot' a trolley-wheel in passing, a continuous undulating strip of resilient material- 'extending substantially the length of said conducting strip and bearing thereon at a.-

plurality ofA points, andineans for pressing said resilient strip downward upon said con-- ducting strip, said resilient strip being see'ured against horizontal movement -at one enti only.

ln witness whereof, I have' hereunto set my hand this 25th day of March, 1908.

ANDREW' it. K. LAUDER; Y -lVitnessesz l l BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Onroizo. 

